Absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, training pants, and adult incontinence undergarments, absorb and contain body exudates. They also are intended to prevent body exudates from soiling, wetting, or otherwise contaminating clothing or other articles, such as bedding, that come in contact with the wearer. A disposable absorbent article, such as a disposable diaper, may be worn for several hours in a dry state or in a urine loaded state. Accordingly, efforts have been made toward improving the fit and comfort of the absorbent article to the wearer, both when the article is dry and when the article is fully or partially loaded with liquid exudate, while maintaining or enhancing the absorbing and containing functions of the article.
Some absorbent articles, like diapers, contain an absorbent polymer material (also known as super absorbent polymer), such as an absorbent particulate polymer material. Absorbent particulate polymer material absorbs liquid and swells and may be more effective when disposed in an absorbent article in a certain pattern or arrangement intended for optimal absorbency, fit, and/or comfort. Thus, it may be desirable for absorbent particulate polymer material to remain in its intended location in an absorbent article and absorbent particulate polymer material, therefore, is desirably immobilized in the absorbent article such that the absorbent particulate polymer material remains immobilized when the absorbent article is dry and when it is wet.
In addition to being absorbent, absorbent articles, such as diapers, desirably may be thin and flexible, for ease and comfort in use and for more convenient and neat packaging and storage. Absorbent articles, which may often be used in large quantities, may also desirably be inexpensive. Some technologies of immobilizing absorbent particulate polymer material in an absorbent article add bulk to the absorbent article and thereby increase thickness, reduce flexibility, and/or increase cost of the absorbent article. Other technologies for immobilizing absorbent particulate polymer material in an absorbent article may not be as effective in maintaining immobilization when the absorbent article is in a wet state as when in a dry state. Accordingly, there remains a need for a thin, flexible, and/or inexpensive absorbent article containing absorbent particulate polymer material with enhanced immobilization of the absorbent particulate polymer material in the article in dry and wet states.
In addition, it is generally desirable to prevent the escape of absorbent particulate polymer material from absorbent articles such as diapers. For example, the escape of such super-absorbent materials, which may be referred to as hydrogels, ultimately could lead to contact with the wearer. Such gel-on-skin occurrences are considered undesirable, as many consumers consider the skin contact to be unpleasant. Accordingly, there is a need for a thin, flexible absorbent article containing absorbent particulate polymer material with efficient prevention of escape of the particulate polymer material from the absorbent core of the absorbent article.